Ino's Change Of Heart
by Taijutsudemonslayer
Summary: Ino and Sakura's bickering has gotten them in trouble w/Asuma and Kakashi, as punishment the girls are sent to The Forest of Death and told to survive together for 14 days.
1. Chapter 1

**Ino's Change Of Heart**

By Taijutsudemonslayer

 _Ino and Sakura's bickering has gotten them in trouble w/Asuma and Kakashi, as punishment the girls are sent to The Forest of Death and told to survive together for 14 days._

Chapter 1

Sakura Haruno glared at Ino Yamanaka, her one-time friend turned bitter rival all because of their bickering over Sasuke Uchiha, the all-consuming rivalry is constantly a point of contention between the two Leaf Kunoichi until one day during a joint A- Ranked mission Sakura and Ino began bickering and subsequently were found out by the enemy and Naruto and Shikamaru ended up being severely beaten by the enemy, resulting in the two of them being taken out of action for close to a year. Once they were back in the Hidden Leaf Village Kakashi and Asuma take Ino and Sakura to see the Hokage, Tsunade.

"That was a very important mission to get rid of the bandits, as they were are a threat to the Hidden Mist Village and because of your childish squabbling not only did they escape, but Naruto and Shikamaru were seriously injured and I'm holding the two of you responsible!"

"It wasn't my fault, Tsunade-Sama, everything would've gone smoothly if Forehead Girl wouldn't have gotten in my way." Ino said.

"Oh, as if Ino-Pig, it was _you_ who got in my way!" Sakura yells in reply.

"ENOUGH!" Tsunade screams, Sakura and Ino both stopped fighting and turned to the tall blonde Sanin.

"Kakashi, Asuma, you're Ino and Sakura's teachers, what sort of punishment do you think they should have to face?"

"Something where the two of them must learn to work together or die," the Copy Ninja says.

"And if they fail?" Tsunade inquired.

"Both will be expelled from the Ninja Academy and will be prohibited from _ever_ becoming a Hidden Leaf Ninja." Asuma adds.

Tsunade thinks about it for a moment.

"That's a great idea, Kakashi, Asuma." the Hokage said.

Both Sakura and Ino stood there in stunned silence.

"Sakura, Ino, you will report to the Forest Of Death tomorrow for your punishment. You two must work together to survive." Kakashi says.

"For-for how long, Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asked, though she was afraid of the answer.

"Fourteen days." Asuma said after taking a long drag on his cigarette.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was still dark when Ino, Sakura, Kakashi, and Asuma arrived at the entrance to the Forest Of Death, Ino nervously adjusted her backpack while Sakura muttered silently to herself.

"Good luck you two and try not to get yourselves killed," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask.

"I can't believe that I have to spend two weeks here dodging death with you," Sakura said angrily.

"I feel the same way, Sakura," Ino replies flatly as the pair continued deeper into the training ground.

After walking for forty-five minutes Sakura and Ino found a place to set up camp,

"What's wrong with you, Ino-Pig?" Sakura inquired, hoping to get a rise out of the blonde.

Ino kept silent, she just turned over on her side, facing away from Sakura,

 _'What's going on here? That's usually all it takes to get Ino all fired up for an argument.'_ Sakura thought to herself.

After getting a few hours of sleep, Ino and Sakura awoke and had breakfast, a heavy tension hanging between the two girls.

Ino is now hard at work sharpening her kunai and her kusarigama, not saying a single word to Sakura.

"Come on Ino, why won't you talk to me? Tease me, insult me, tell me how you're going to win Sasuke over." Sakura all but begged.

"Begging doesn't suit you, Sakura." Ino says without looking up.

"I don't get it Ino, yesterday you were all into fighting with me like always, but today you're all cold and distant."

"Don't worry about it, Sakura. It's my problem, it doesn't concern you."

"I-I thought that we..." Sakura began, but Ino cut her off mid-sentence.

"Were what? Friends? _You_ said that you were going to be my rival until you won Sasuke's heart."

"You said it too, Ino." Sakura counters.

"Yeah, and I was a fool for saying it." Ino says before putting her weapons away and standing up.

"Where are you going, Ino?"

"To a river to bathe." Ino says harshly, the pinkette blinks in surprise, she'd never seen Ino act like this before.

"Don't follow me." Ino snapped.

As Sakura watched Ino walk away from her, she couldn't help but wince at the sudden tightness that she felt around her heart.

"Stupid Sakura, she's only doing this so she can impress that arrogant loser... If she wants Sasuke, she can have-." In mused, but was interrupted by the sound of leaves rustling.

"I told you not to follow me, Sakura," Ino said in an annoyed tone.

No answer.

"Whatever," Ino said before standing up and stepping out of the river and drying herself off before redressing.

"This isn't funny, Sakura," Ino said, growing more upset with each passing second, suddenly a giant centipede lunged out of the undergrowth, Ino screamed as she stumbled backward and fell, badly twisting her right ankle as she went to the ground. The giant insect, at least eighteen feet long wrapped itself around the terrified blonde and began squeezing.

Ino felt the intense pressure of the centipede's girth as it continued applying pressure to Ino's midsection.

Ino coughed up blood and was dangerously close to passing out when suddenly Sakura appeared, delivering a chakra infused punch to the centipede's head, causing it to release Ino and disappear back into the bush.

With the threat taken care of, Sakura turned her attention to the injured blonde,

"Hang on Ino, I'll treat your wounds," Sakura says, opening her backpack and fishing out her first-aid kit. Ino staggered to her feet, swaying as she righted herself.

"I...don't want your help, S...Sakura," Ino said in a raspy voice.

"Come on Ino, if you don't get those wounds treated, you could...die," Sakura says, not wanting to think like that.

"You shouldn't care, I mean...after all you're only doing this for _your_ precious Sasuke." In wheezed before falling to one knee and once again coughed up some blood.

Sakura was horrified at what she was seeing, Ino was gravely injured and refusing to let Sakura treat her injuries and for the life of her, Sakura didn't understand why.

"J...just go to your precious Sasuke and stay away from me," Ino says as she clutched her injured midsection, Sakura looked at the blonde with tears in her eyes, Ino was wrong... Sakura wasn't doing this to impress _Sasuke,_ in fact, Sakura had actually decided to stop pursuing him two years earlier because she realized that she held feelings for someone else- Ino.

Sakura looked at Ino with tears in her eyes, she had thought about revealing her secret to the blonde, but thought better of it.

"Fine, if you want to die here Ino, go right ahead. I won't stop you." Sakura said sadly.

Sakura picks up the first-aid kit puts it back in her backpack before heading back to the campsite, this surprised Ino.

 _'She's leaving,_ Ino thought as fear gripped her.

"W-Wait, you're leaving?" Ino asked.

"Last I heard, my help wasn't _needed_ or _wanted_ , " Sakura said as she kept on walking,

Sakura's words stung, Ino's eyes watered.

 _'She's really walking away.'_ Ino thought as it began to rain.

Ino could see the drastic change in Sakura's posture.

 _'She's got something heavy weighing on her mind.'_ the blonde deduced.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ino follows Sakura back to their campsite, the rain had put out their fire, both Ino, and Sakura, along with their food and gear were getting soaked by the heavy downpour.

"S-Sakura, can we please talk?"

Sakura turns around slowly, her emerald eyes meeting Ino's blue ones.

"Sure, let's find somewhere dry," Sakura says,

They find shelter from the rain in a cave, after Ino sits down Sakura begins treating Ino's injuries.

"What's on your mind, Sakura?" the blonde asked.

"What have I done now?" Sakura asks.

"Excuse me?" Ino questions,

"You won't talk to me, you didn't want my help before, so what did I do to deserve this?" Sakura asks.

Ino drops her gaze, then after a long moment Ino looks back up at the pinkette.

"Are you still chasing after Sasuke, Sakura?"

Sakura took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"No Ino, th-there's someone else that I'm interested in now." Sakura said.

"Who is it? Do I know them?"

Sakura smiled warmly, she sat down beside Ino before leaning over and pressing

petal soft lips against Ino's, Ino was surprised by Sakura's kiss at first, but the blonde soon found herself succumbing to the pinkette's overwhelming desire and began kissing her back.

Sakura's heart throbbed in her chest as she wrapped her arms around Ino, Ino ran her hands through Sakura's silky pink tresses, her tongue eagerly seeking and finding Sakura's.

"Ino, I-I could never truly love Sasuke, I hope you understand that I-I've always been in love with you and just wanted to be near you, even if we fought." Sakura said before Ino leaned in to kiss her once again, after a passionate, deep, and meaningful kiss Ino slowly pulled away.

"I wish that I would've known you felt this way about me, Sakura. And to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't want to pursue Sasuke anymore either, because I wanted you." the blonde said after gently cupping Sakura's face in her hands and gazing lovingly into Sakura's shimmering emerald orbs.

"Ino,"

"Sakura, How I wish words could express the thoughts that I have about you. If I should say, "I love you," then the greater percent of my feelings would still be unexpressed. But of course, I must say something. My heart longs for you, and I must tell you that. I long to see your face and to hear your voice. Just thinking of you helps make my day a better one."

Ino opened her eyes and found herself in Sakura's arms, the blonde was gradually getting used to the feel of being in the pinkette's arms.

"Sakura, I just... thank you." Ino whispered.

Sakura smiled at the blonde,

"No more talking, you need to rest." Sakura said with a playful sternness that surprised Ino, who only smiled back at Sakura and laid her head down in Sakura's lap. As Ino shut her eyes she felt Sakura gently stroking her hair and sang a lullaby to Ino, Ino sighed and finally closed her eyes content and happy for the first time in a long time.

The next morning Ino and Sakura woke up and left the cave, Sakura found a tree branch, which she fashions into a walking cane to help Ino balance herself,

As Sakura and Ino continue their trek into the forest, they fail to notice two dark figures following them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Former Sand Ninja Hitomi and Midoriko Izuna silently stalked the two Leaf Ninja, the Izuna Sisters, aka The "Reapers Of The Sand", have been hired by an unknown person to kill Ino Yamanaka, both sisters carry a deadly scythe on their back, along with a deadly array of jutsu they employ to hunt down a target.


End file.
